[Anton]

Fellow gardeners,

I prepared my soil about a week ago for my early potatoes but there have been biblical rainstorms ever since, so I would just be planting into mud at the moment. Is it getting a bit late now for earlies (my book says last two weeks in March)?  Another question, if you don't mind, I see on another topic there is a discussion about holes versus trenches. I have always planted my potatoes with a trowel. Is it worthwhile half-filling the holes with compost, placing a potato on top and covering, or is there no point to this, so I should just mix the compost in with the rest of the soil?
Third question, I can see my wife has bought too many seed potatoes (seconds as well).  Will the surplus-to-requirement ones be edible, do you think?

Anton

[Ivor Backache]

This March has been one of the coldest and darkest months for some time. It is not too late to plant.

Trench or trowel is a personal thing. I trench to get all my compost back into the soil.

Yes they are edible, but who would want to eat spongy potatoes out of choice. See if you can get some flower buckets and plant your earlies in them.

[JayG]

I don't suppose there's a great deal of difference between different methods of planting seed spuds, or of adding compost - what suits you will be fine, and adding any compost will always be better than not adding any.

I dig a wide and fairly deep trench, chuck some compost in, and lay the spuds in a zigzag pattern on top, then partly fill in, adding some dried chicken poo as I do so. Then I put netting over the area to stop the foxes digging them up again!
It's a slightly unusual method, but suits me because the soil is light (easy to dig), the compost goes where it will do most good, and it saves space compared with planting in two separate rows, and space is limited where I am.

As for when to plant, now is about in the middle of the range of dates I've planted them over the years - yes, it would be nice to get them into nice warm soil, but it isn't, so I haven't. 

[Hampshire Hog]

Hi Anton I raised your question re eating seed spuds whilst visiting a potato day in January. I was warned off by being told that the seed spuds could be chemically treated in some way so unwise to eat??

Cheers HH

[Yorkie]

My earlies won't be going in for another week or three yet.  Plenty of time 

[DD.]

As Yorkie says, there is plenty of time for earlies, we have successfully cropped from ones planted in June.

"Early" does not refer to the time of season to plant them, it refers to their shorter growing period to maturity.

[Anton]

Thanks very much for all your very informative answers.

Anton

[Lesleyk]

As Yorkie says, there is plenty of time for earlies, we have successfully cropped from ones planted in June.

"Early" does not refer to the time of season to plant them, it refers to their shorter growing period to maturity.

Just planted mine today - in between showers.  It is probably the earliest I would plant any potatoes up here - as DD says, they can go as late as June if necessary.  It was good to get them in the soil, mind 

[Goosegirl]

I've always used a trowel because, even in my raised beds with added topsoil etc, I can soon dig down to subsoil and it works for me. I don't chit either, in fact, I haven't got my seed pots yet but am doing this week.

[Sadgit]

mine are all still chitting away early s and main crop. Might get them in on Monday or maybe now

[Snoop]

About your comment on surplus-to-requirement potatoes being edible, second earlies will store for a bit. I had some Charlottes (seconds) in December and they were still OK for my purposes.

[Yorkie]

About your comment on surplus-to-requirement potatoes being edible, second earlies will store for a bit. I had some Charlottes (seconds) in December and they were still OK for my purposes.

Mine have been known to store in the ground until March 

[chillimummy]

I'm hoping for dry weather over the weekend to get my potatoes and broad beans in and move strawberries from trough's at home to plot. 
Weather here in Bradford has been so hit and miss and freezing!